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Everyone Realize How Expensive Saddlebag Parts Are?

9K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  DirtyDan 
#1 ·
Victory Saddlebag Parts Pricing... or, I Need Three Other Sunset Red People

If you already know how expensive the XC/XCT saddlebags parts are, save yourself some time and move on to the next thread.

I damaged the right saddlebag lid when my XCT was about a month old. I tipped over the saddlebag when it was off the bike, in the garage, which chipped the paint completely off in an area maybe 3" x 1".

First Attempt: Honda East

After making things not much better with some official Victory touch-up paint, I decided I'd go up to a couple hundred dollars if I could buy a new lid. (I may yet go to a body shop. And yes, I know, I could just suck it up, but this is a new bike, and this area is way bigger than the stone pings you get in the front.)

So, I surfed to Honda East ( http://www.hondaeasttoledo.com/default.asp?page=partsfinder ), widely touted for service and price, both here and on other forums. My right-side, sunset red, lid is shown with a list price of $300.86 and their selling price of $225.65. (Honda East seems to take 25% off list prices.) So I ordered it; this was about a month ago.

Despite my email "order confirmation" from them, I got another email a day or two later telling me that their third-party parts fiche supplier erred, and they would sell me the lid for "$415.61 with free shipping" (presumably - the free shipping - as a gesture of good will). I declined.

Second Attempt: PowersEdge

Next, I tried PowersEdge.com ( http://www.powersedge.com/pages/oemparts?aribrand=VIC ). This place also has prices less than MSRP, and in the case of the lid claimed to sell it for $243.70. So I ordered the lid from PowersEdge.

A day or two later, I got an email from them: "I regret to inform you that the part on your order cannot be sold at the price previously listed on our website. Between the mismarked part and shipping cost error you would have to pay an additional $120.00." That brings it up to a discounted price of about $364.

Third Attempt: Honda East (Again)

I gave Honda East a couple of weeks to change the parts fiche pricing, but nothing happened. So I phoned the parts guy there, and discussed the situation. He seemed as befuddled as before regarding Victory's list price on a lid.

Fourth Attempt: Victory

I emailed a person at corporate Vic, whom I had met at the NYC cycle show. I explained the confusion, and asked him to forward my email, if he would, to someone in corporate parts. He did, and the next day someone from corporate parts telephoned me.

The corporate Vic guy explained to me that parts are expensive to make and to store, and how if you add up individual parts prices they will by far outstrip the price of a completed vehicle. He also confirmed that my sunset red saddlebag lid has an MSRP of $499, while the bin (what Victory calls the bottom, or main part, of the saddlebag) has a an MSRP of $467.

Does This Seem Weird to You? Let Me Count the Ways:

1) The top of the saddlebag seems to have less plastic, less paint, and is less intracate in construction than the bottom. Why is it priced higher?

2) I spent about two minutes doing a search, and learned that at Ronnie's ( http://www.ronniesmailorder.com/ ), for instance, the saddlebag lid for a 2012 Electra Glide Ultra Limited, in "ember red sunglo & merlot," lists for $240.00 (and sells for less). The lid for a 2010 Gold Wing, "pearl hot rod yellow," lists for $366 (and sells for less).

So, a new lid for a 2012 V-twin from the other American motorcycle company has an MSRP about half that of a lid for the X-series hard bags.

3) Here, then, are the list prices of the major parts (one each) for an X-series saddlebag:

- Bottom: $467
- Top: $499
- Hinge: $132
- Lock bezel: $33
- Lock itself: I couldn't find out ("call us" or a blank field)

That's a total list - for one saddlebag - of at least $1,131.

Now, if you like, click this (I'll wait here): http://www.purepolaris.com/en-us/Vi...PGACatalog)&prevfitment=inmeta:Family~Baggers .

For those of you who didn't bother, that's one of Victory "Accessories & Apparel" official pages. That particular page tells you that a PAIR of SUNSET RED HARD SADDLEBAGS can be yours for $999.99.

So, let's say you drop your bike, or do a low-side, or something along those lines, and you damage the top, middle (i.e., hinge), and bottom of the saddlebag on one side. Your insurance adjuster, if he's paying attention, will say, "Go get yourself a pair of new saddlebags, because it's cheaper than replacing just that one."

Too Rich for My Blood:

Okay, so Victory exceeded my price point. I've certainly wasted more money than $300 or $400 (stupid is as stupid does), but I don't like this particular situation. What I'd prefer is to find three other people, one of whom has a damaged sunset red saddlbag right bottom, one with a damaged left top, and one with a damaged left bottom. We could then all go in on a pair of new saddlebags for $1,000, i.e., $250 for each of the four parts. And then we could sell the two hinges and locks on eBay.

Well, that's my story. In the meantime, if I meet any of you at Americade or someplace, I'd appreciate it if no one pointed out my touch-up cob-job. And if you're smart(er), be really careful with your saddlebags, everyone.
 
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#2 ·
Bill,
It sucks to be a member of the TOC and sucks even more when the damage can't be repaired with a little touch-up paint. The prices are outrageous but unfortunately it's an unfair comparison to even look at what HD and GW bag lids cost. HD (and Honda to some extent) has been using the same bags on multiple bikes for almost as long as Victory has existed. There have been maybe 6000 Cross bikes (XC, XCT, XR, XR-LE, Hardball) built so it's a given that replacement parts are going to cost more than HD parts because they've most likely built close to or over 1 million bikes that use the same bags.

I would take the bike to a body shop and let them do their magic. Chances are you will always see where the damage was because you know where it was but most other people won't be able to find it. Another option is to contact companies that make leather (or vinyl) bag lid covers and see if they are willing to give Victory a shot. This may be the best option because it could result in another product that other Cross bike owners are looking for.

Best of luck!
 
#5 ·
Ammo,

Thanks for your (sage) comments and wish of luck. I was trying to think of some other semi-exotic brands with hard bags, but all I could come up with are some Italian bikes that use re-badged Givi cases. I admit I didn't realize how few XC/XCTs there were.

On the body shop front, I contacted ColorRite. Yes, I know that they have a relationship with maybe all bike manufacturers except Victory. Anyway, Steve at ColorRite Dist West was (and is) interested in matching Vic's sunset red, and sent me a free test strip. It was extremely close to the OEM paint in various lighting conditions, and a little off in others. Of course, it's apples and oranges, i.e., the ColorRite mix was on white stock, and the Vic paint is on metal or plastic.

I took these pics - http://www.billanddot.com/colorrite-sunset-red-ii/ - for ColorRite. After seeing my paint web page, Steve said:

The sample had two coats of the top color applied and that seems to be a bit light but if a third coat was applied this would be a perfect match. Unfortunately we do not paint parts here but since the colors looks like a match if you’d like to place an order for the paint we can sell it to you. If you’d like to purchase the paint please call me at 1-800-736-7980 from 8-4 PST and I’ll take your order. Thank you.

When I spoke with the corporate parts guy at Victory, I asked him if he was at liberty to tell me who supplies paint to Victory; he said he was not. So, I've been trying to get better info - so far not too successfully - for a body shop, ahead of time, if I go that route. I understand that some body shops have paint-matching machines, but I don't know whether any of them are around here; kind of a small market.

Yeah, a nice leather cover might be the answer. I'll investigate...
 
#3 ·
+1 on Ammo's suggestions. And I would add to that; have BOTH lids painted by a good body shop / custom painter so they'll match perfectly and,. if you have the mind to, add a design or ghosting. IMHO that would be making lemonade. Let us know the outcome.
 
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#7 ·
Yeah, a whole paint scheme would be nice. There really is too big an expanse of a single color on the XCTs. I'll start saving my pennies...
 
#4 ·
I don't condone what I am implying but.....What's your insurance deductible?
 
#6 ·
The thought may have crossed my mind, too. Unfortunately, it's $500, so that sort of screws things up.
 
#10 ·
Sound like good suggestions. This may have to wait until late in the summer, though.

I didn't know that Vic sells paint by the quart. Cost me $12 for an ounce or something of touch-up.
 
#11 ·
I ordered 2ea touch-up paints and 2ea 10oz shakey cans (couldn't order singles) from my dealer when I found out that Crimson was discountinued. I could have ordered quarts too but doubted I would need that much. When the paint was late I called the dealer and they let it slip out that they get it from Dupli-Color so they had little control over the shipping.

When the paint came in it was marked as Polaris paint and had no other manufacturer annotated on it to prove/dissprove that it was Dupli-Color but I would take my dealers word for it.

Rather than trying to order samples you can go to any automotive paint supplier and most big body shops and they can do an analysis of your paint and match it perfectly. They do it all the time for low production and antiques cars so there's no reason why they couldn't for a bike. I had it done once for a Jeep that was painted with a Maserati blue (with several metallic colors in it). They matched it then painted the full doors and there was zero noticeable differences.
 
#12 ·
Rather than trying to order samples you can go to any automotive paint supplier and most big body shops and they can do an analysis of your paint and match it perfectly. They do it all the time for low production and antiques cars so there's no reason why they couldn't for a bike.
^^^^this^^^^

any good body shop should be able to match your color

I am in the process of covering my bag lids with leather. Once done, I will post pics & prices

thumb upcheersthumb up
 
#14 ·
This night help try revdynamics.com they are the ones that painted the high ball and hard ball series. Maybe they would have an insight to some way to help you out for a reasonable price. Can't hurt.
Good luck.
On another note i looked into just buying the tops for mine for a project. Then found out the price and was like no way in hell. Why can't they make it cost effective for the consumer. Guess i figured out why they use ball in there bikes. They have us by the balls.
 
#16 ·
Not only does Line-x work well, but they can pretty well duplicate the color of your bike. Won't hurt to check them out. Luck on your quest.
 
#17 ·
#19 ·
the company that supposedly supplies polaris is midwest
industrial coatings inc. in shakopee mn.micicoatings.com.
i bought a qt of base and the activator. guy said it is the same
paint that is sprayed on the assembly line.it is a dupont base.
i called a dupont jobber who talked to dupont. had never heard
of that particular series.worst spraying stuff i ever used. it never
wanted to flash. i used ppg clear over it. because i was told to
use whatever clear i wanted.the dupont people hadnt heard of the
clear that was mentioned either.think ill take a part up to my
ppg jobber and have them do a prophet on it and see what they come up with.--irv
 
#20 ·
The Victory parts prices are just too scary. I'm getting to a point of moving the bike on before something breaks on it and sends my finances into a Cataclysmic collapse. What the corporate bullshitter has told is the same with every company and yet as you have demonstrated they can sell their parts significantly cheaper then Victory.
 
#21 ·
Man Peter, way to bring a thread back from the dead!
 
#23 ·
Wspollack, if you're still looking for sunset red saddlebag lids, there's a guy on Facebook (if you're on Facebook) selling both sides lids brand new for$200. It's on the Victory Motorcycles - Buy Sell & Trade page, guys name is Brandon Alexander
 
#24 ·
Ghost, thanks for the info. I got a what I think was a factory blemish -- just a few very tiny mistakes -- right lid, from a dealer, not too long after i started this thread. Maybe I should have done an update.

Still good info in here, after 3+ years, e.g.:

- I learned about color-matching machines at paint shops.
- I also learned -- and this may benefit others -- that if you severely damage one side of a bike with hard bags, it may still be cheaper to buy a pair of them.

And, what with continuing scuff marks (by both me and my wife), I'm still considering putting on leather covers over the lids, even after that replacement lid. I may get around to it this year.
 
#25 ·
I've noticed on some of the cross bikes there's some scuff marks on the bag lids from getting on and off. There was a magnum I was drooling over at shoals outdoor sports in Alabama that was brand new and had scuff marks on the lids form people getting on and off. Just one of those things I reckon
 
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#28 ·
Clear self healing 3m protective film would help that. For sure it will be going on my trike fenders on the leading side.
 
#26 ·
Yes, and the older and more "gravitationaly challenged" the owner, the more scuff marks. Certainly makes one realize, speakers in the lidz are probably not going to stay looking "cool" for long. :eek
 
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